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Premier Jason Kenney will hold a televised address on Tuesday evening to show some of the province's projections for COVID-19 (Photo: Government of Alberta)
Premier to hold televised address

Alberta’s COVID-19 projection will include “very challenging numbers”: Premier

Apr 6, 2020 | 5:59 PM

Premier Jason Kenney has announced he will deliver a televised address to Albertans Tuesday night, where he will share projections that will include “some very challenging numbers” regarding COVID-19 in the province.

Alberta’s chief medical officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, announced last week that officials would be unveiling those projections for the province, similar to what Ontario announced back on Friday.

“Albertans want to know, ‘What are the real numbers?'” said Kenney during Monday’s COVID-19 address. “Beginning tomorrow night we will be providing some of the modelling done by Alberta Health Services, that shows us when we might hit the peak and how well prepared we are for that.”

Kenney adds that he and other provincial officials will provide more details on those projections Wednesday, as to the province’s ability to cope in terms of hospital capacity and medical supplies.

He added that the numbers may be difficult for some to hear.

“I ask people to be prepared for what can be some very challenging numbers as we look at the prospective damage that this virus could still do in our province.”

As the province officially begins it’s second month of the fight against COVID-19 on Monday, Kenney said that the active number of hospitalizations in Alberta remains “low and manageable” at 40 current patients as of April 6. That includes 16 ICU cases.

“We can be thankful here in Alberta that we have not seen anything like the numbers experienced in those other jurisdictions,” said Kenney about rates in places like Spain and the U.S. “Our relative success in controlling the spread is a tribute to the swift implementation of our effective pandemic response plan by Alberta Health Services and to the skill, efforts and courage of our battalions of front-line health workers who are saving lives every day in the fight against coronavirus.”

As of April 6, Alberta is reporting 1348 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 98 from Sunday.